SGB Update Outdoor
Golf Rounds Down Nationally, Up in Dry Winter Regions…
The National Golf Federation released its report on golf rounds played in the month of January this week, finding that the number of rounds played had dropped 4.0% against January 2004. The NGF attributed the drop to heavy rains, flooding and mudslides in
DSW to Offer Shares, But Can’t Keep RVI from a Tough Quarter and Year…
DSW, Designer Shoe Warehouse, Inc., wholly-owned subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., will pursue an initial public offering, which it expects to complete in the first half of 2005. Despite DSW being strong enough to warrant an IPO, the subsidiary was no
LaCrosse Chairman Dies at Age 82…
George W. Schneider, 82, LaCrosse Footwear's chairman of the board for 23 years, passed away on Friday, March 18, after a brief illness. Mr. Schneider is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Virgina (Ginnie), their 11 children, and 24 grandchildr
Strong Q4 Keeps Shoe Pavilion Back in Black for the Year…
A strong fourth quarter helped Shoe Pavilion, Inc. into the black for the fiscal year, a turnaround from the red ink flowing the year before. Net sales increased 11.5% to $24.8 million for the fourth quarter ended January 1, 2005, compared to net sales o
G-III Repositioned for Renewed Apparel Growth…
G-III Apparel Group dropped $40 million in revenue in its sports licensed end of their business in fiscal 2005, a decline that pushed total sales down 4.8% for the year to $214.3 million, compared to $225.1 million in the prior year. Excluding the elimin
China Increases U.S. Import Share, But Loses Ground in Footwear…
Sporting goods imports into the U.S. surpassed the $10 billion milestone for the first time in 2004 with a 7.5% increase in declared value to $10.43 billion. SGMA International reported these numbers by analyzing U.S. Commerce Department data for athletic
Kelty Signs U.S. State Dept. Deal
Kelty has inked a specialty contract with the U.S. State Department for the purchase of 110,000 daypacks. The packs
will be filled with basic school supplies and distributed by the State Department to school-age children in 13 countries. The Kelty daypack
SEW Goes One-On-One with… Exeter Brands’ Mary Gleason
Mary Gleason is president of Exeter Brands Group, a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. Prior to joining Exeter, Ms. Gleason served as president and CO of Group 3 Design, a full-service brand management company credited with reviving the Starter brands and building
Backcountry.com Blames the Weather for 84% Sales Increase
Backcountry.com posted an 84% year-over-year increase on sales of more than $27 million. 2004 also featured record-breaking activity for single day sales and single day shipments…
NSGA: Specialty Athletic Footwear Retail Consolidation Continues
Sales at the four largest specialty athletic footwear chains grew to 70.5% of sales in this channel of distribution during the five-year period 1997-2002, according to an NSGA analysis of recently released U.S. Census of Retail data. In the previous five-
Canoecopia Event Marks Opening of Paddling Season…
For three days in March, Madison, Wisconsin is the center of the universe for paddling enthusiasts. Since 1981, the Rutabaga Paddle Shop has hosted an event called Canoecopia. Billed as the ‘World’s Largest Paddlesports Expo,” the event marks the beginnin
Yue Yuen Sees ASP Up, GM Still Suffers…
Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of athletic footwear, saw an increase in average selling prices help drive total revenues up 15.8% to $746.4 million for the fiscal first quarter ended December 31, compared to $64
Looking for a Chair as the Music Stops…
Several Specialty Outdoor brands played a game of musical chairs last week with a number of top executive moves to bolster their teams. It seems that Yakima, Thule, Kelty, Mountainsmith, and Lowe Alpine have all been switching employees in one form or an
The New Green Fiscal Conservative: An Industry Perspective
A recent article in The Economist notes that conservatives view environmental issues in much the same way liberals view defense issues, they’re just not comfortable with them. While there are a growing number of environmental conservatives, this attitude
Obituary: George W. Schneider, 82
George W. Schneider, LaCrosse Footwear's chairman of the board for 23 years, passed away on Friday, March 18, after a brief illness. He was 82 years old…
